Hockey Cards

Review: 1972-73 Los Angeles Sharks

A mediocre set for a mediocre team

Alton WhiteBefore the Sharks took up residency in San Jose, there was another team by the same name. The Los Angeles Sharks – no relation to the current team in San Jose – was a founding member of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Unlike some of the luckier teams in the WHA who had the benefit of a Bobby Hull or Gordie Howe playing for them, the Sharks did not have much in the way of star power. They finished 6th out of 12 teams in 1972-73 and dead last during their second and final season. In their first year, they issued an ugly set of 19 cards. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Los Angeles Sharks”

Review: 1972-73 Quebec Nordiques

Twenty-one cards from the upstart team’s first season

Richard Brodeur

The World Hockey Association was founded in 1972, and placed several teams into markets that yearned to have an NHL presence. One founding member of the WHA was the Quebec Nordiques, giving the province of Quebec another team to call their own. Longtime Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman J.C. Tremblay was the Nordiques’ first captain, while a 20-year old Richard Brodeur was breaking into pro hockey as the Nords’ backup. Released during the season was a postcard set featuring the Quebec’s inaugural roster. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Quebec Nordiques”

Game Changer

2010-11 Panini Playoff Contenders card #13 – Sean Avery

2010-11 Panini Playoff Contenders card #13 - Sean AveryThe biographical blurb on the back of a hockey card usually mentions some sort of accomplishment – an award won, a multi-point game or other accolade. In their 2010-11 Playoff Contenders set, Panini America highlighted Sean Avery’s antics in the 2008 playoffs that led to a rule change. Continue reading “Game Changer”

Bures and the Beach

1991-92 Upper Deck cards #647 – Bloodlines: Valery and Pavel Bure

1991-92 Upper Deck card #54 - Pavel BureWhen the hockey card market suddenly got crowded in 1990, companies had to find a way to stand out from their competition. Parallels and inserts were not yet commonplace, so card makers resorted to an age-old tactic to make as many cards of the most popular players as possible: subsets. One subset in particular – Upper Deck’s “Bloodlines” from their 1991-92 release – features a memorable card of the Bure brothers “enjoying” a day at the beach. Continue reading “Bures and the Beach”

2010-11 SP Authentic Box Break #1

When I attended The National Sports Collectors’ Convention earlier this month, I participated quite a bit in Upper Deck’s wrapper redemption program.

Buying 5 packs of 2010-11SP Authentic earned me one voucher for a redemption pack. In total, I bought 50 packs of SP Autentic (two 24-pack boxes plus 2 additional packs).

Here are the results from my first box: Continue reading “2010-11 SP Authentic Box Break #1”

Card of the Week: Whitewashed Capital

1975-76 Topps card #189: Bill Clement

1975-76 Topps card #189 - Bill ClementDuring the summer of 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers traded center Bill Clement to the Washington Capitals. This transaction was apparently important enough to prompt Topps’ art department to revise their photo of Clement for their 1975-76 set. Unfortunately, his trade wasn’t quite worthy enough to merit revision to the entire photograph. Only Clement’s jersey had been altered to reflect the trade. His torso screams “Capitals,” while his legs (and heart, probably) still say “Flyers.” Continue reading “Card of the Week: Whitewashed Capital”

Decades 1980s: National Edition – Box Break #2

I enjoyed my first box of In The Game’s Decades 1980s enough that I decided to buy a second box a day later. I actually did a “pack wars” type break with Justin G. (Hopeful Chase) and Tim (DFG). Those guys each got a Mario Lemieux game-used card. And me? I did OK… Continue reading “Decades 1980s: National Edition – Box Break #2”

Decades 1980s: National Edition – Box Break #1

While at The National, I bought not one but two boxes of In The Game’s Decades 1980s hockey cards. These boxes were the so-called “National Edition,” which cost about $10 more than a regular box of Decades, but here’s what made the “National Edition” more enticing to buy:

  • It entitled you to an autograph from U.S. Olympian Mark Wells
  • It entitled you to a special 1/1 jersey card only available at The National
  • One of the jersey cards was swapped out for a special Chicago Blackhawks quad-jersey card
  • It was possible to get a Dominik Hasek autograph in a National Edition box

Here is what I got in my first box. Continue reading “Decades 1980s: National Edition – Box Break #1”

Review: 1972-73 Atlanta Flames Postcards

Color action photography makes for a worthwhile set

Pat QuinnTeam postcard sets seemed to be all the rage in the 1970s and 1980s. Many NHL and WHA teams gave out postcards picturing the players – either in response to an autograph request or as a giveaway at a game. In their inaugural season, the Atlanta Flames issued a simple, yet fantastic, set of postcards that featured practically everyone on their team. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Atlanta Flames Postcards”